Current theories in the psychiatric and psychological tradition have explained rape as a behavioral symptom of a disordered personality and have emphasized the individual, idiosyncratic nature of the problem. In contrast, we propose to explore a sociological model in which rape can be viewed as behavior learned through interaction with others. Thus we hope to determine whether, in addition to the individual pathology of offenders, rape may also be related to cultural factors including male expectations regarding appropriate male and female sex role and sexual behavior. In this first stage, of a two stage research project, 100 incarcerated rapists and a contrast group of 50 non-sex, non-violent offenders will be interviewed with two objectives. First, through the use of various scales, to identify rapists' attitudes toward variables related to rape and to compare these attitudes to those of the contrast group. Second, through in-depth interviewing, to focus on the interactional episode itself, as it is perceived by rapists, to understand how attitudes impinge on interpretations of the crime. Support for our premises would suggest that current prevention and treatment policies, predicated on the individual pathology model, should be expanded to reflect the multidimensional nature of rape and the social and cultural factors that influence this behavior.